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July 4, 2024 - July 10, 2024

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CNN’s Presidential Debate: A Deluge of Deceit

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

@StacyBrownMedia

Forget alternative facts and political spin: the first presidential debate of 2024 was an overwhelming flood of falsehoods. The twiceimpeached and 34-times convicted felon and former President Donald Trump unleashed a torrent of misinformation on topics

The debate will likely go down in history for the sheer volume of lies broadcast to the American people.

ranging from terrorism to taxes during the first debate of the 2024 general election. Poorly moderated to the point of farce by two CNN anchors, the debate will likely go down in history for the sheer

volume of lies broadcast to the American people.

Trump, who boasted that he could grab women by their private parts and later was found responsible for sexually assaulting a woman, lied

PART THREE: CONCLUSION

40 ACRES AND A LIE

By Alexia Fernanandez Campbell, April Simpson and Pratheek Rebala Mother Jones Magazine

July+August 2024

Special to the New Journal and Guide

40 Acres and A Lie tells the history of an oftenmisunderstood government program that gave formerly enslaved people land title after the Civil War. A year and a half later, almost all the land had been taken back.

Months later, in November 1866, a federal agent issued Pompey Jackson a “first-class warrant” to buy land in Beaufort County as consolation for his now worthless title to part of William Habersham’s plantation. But Jackson wouldn’t leave Georgia, instead joining a number of freedmen who stayed in the Savannah area and found jobs as porters, housekeepers, and dockworkers. Jackson was hired as a carpenter for a white man named William Carmichael, who had bought Causton’s Bluff, one of the Habersham family’s rice plantations. Jackson built shotgun houses for formerly enslaved workers who lived on the land for free, were paid 71 cents per day, and were permitted to use some of the land to plant their own cotton to sell. In 1867, he married Patience Simmons, a freedwoman from South Carolina, according to public records we reviewed. He registered to vote in Savannah. “When [the land] was taken away, they didn’t wallow in despair,” wrote Cook Bell, now a historian at Bowie State University, noting that many of the freedmen gathered to build Black towns and found work fishing and raising livestock—and invested in land. see 40 Acres, page 8A

about everything from the economy to racism and having sex with an adult film star.

“I spent 90 minutes debating on a stage with a guy who has all the morals of an alley cat. I mean, did you see Donald Trump last night? He must have set a new record for the number of lies ever told in a single debate,” President Joe Biden said after the June 27 debate.

Photo:WhatWeareOwed(Reparations):ChrisBurnett;Source images:LibraryofCongress;Photo12/UniversalImages Group/Getty;Freedmen’sBureauRecords(2); EmielMolenaar;EnginAkyurt;MatthewAlexander/Unsplash(3) A COLLABORATION BETWEEN:

On January 16, 1865, Special Field Orders, No. 15, reserved land in South Carolina, Georgia, and northeastern Florida for the freedmen to start a new life. Pompey Jackson received a land title for 4 acres at Grove Hill. In April 1865, Lincoln was assassinated and his successor, Pres. Andrew Johnson, began immediately to return the land to the former enslavers.

Among the white Southerners trying to reclaim the rice plantations lost following the war was William Habersham, one of the previous owners of Grove Hill. President Johnson pardoned Habersham, eventually allowing him to reclaim Grove Hill as his own, ending Pompey Jackson’s brief land ownership.

Hampton Univ. & Other HBCUs Experiencing Surge In Applications

By Rosaland Tyler Associate Editor New Journal and Guide

Enrollment ofﬁcials at Hampton University point to its benchmark reputation to explain why student applications surged to over 17,000 for the 2024-25 academic year, compared to 12,000 applications submitted the previous year.

Hampton’s most recent surge comes on the heels of an unprecedented, two-year, post-pandemic enrollment uptick, one that also occurred at nearby Norfolk State, Virginia State and Virginia Union, according to news reports. Hampton’s current surge in applications and commitments has led the University to waitlist students for the ﬁrst time in recent history, with almost 2,000 students waitlisted.

Hampton University President Darrell K.

Williams said in a recent statement on the school’s website, “This increase in applications is a testament to our reputation as a premier institution for higher education. Our commitment to academic excellence, innovative programs, and an environment conducive to learning continues to attract talented students from across the nation and the world.”

Angela Nixon-Boyd, dean of admission and assistant vice president for enrollment management at Hampton, said in a recent statement, “The substantial

The substantial rise in applications reflects our ongoing efforts to enhance the University’s profile and provide students with an exceptional educational experience.”

rise in applications reﬂects our ongoing efforts to enhance the University’s proﬁle and provide students with an exceptional educational experience. We

– Angela Nixon-Boyd

look forward to welcoming a new class of students who will contribute to our vibrant campus community.” see HBCU, page 3A

NSU Dean Among 17 National Fellows In Teacher Education. see page 6A INSIDE:

“He lied about what a great economy he created when we all remember the pandemic. He lied about how great he was for veterans when we can recall how he called veterans who had given their lives for this country ‘suckers’ and ‘losers.’ And he even lied about how he had nothing to do with January 6,” Biden asserted. see Deceit page 7A

Biden-Harris Campaign Responds To Poor CNN Debate With Weekend of Action. see page 3A

On Biden “WORRY LESS— —DO MORE”

By Brenda H. Andrews Publisher New Journal and Guide

The anticipated ﬁrst presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump was not revelatory. As expected, Trump either lied or totally ignored answering the questions he was given. Biden answered the moderators’ questions based on the vast amount of knowledge he has about the subjects that were addressed.

Yet, while Biden was clearly informed about the questions, he performed very poorly in delivering answers. His voice was extremely frail and his spirit appeared deﬂated.

At the same time, the tempestuous Trump was unusually controlled, delivering quick responses to diverse questions, all from his repertoire of three main talking points: immigration, immigration, immigration. How bad it is for America; how dangerous immigrants are to Americans; how “Black jobs” are being taken away by immigrants.

In between his immigration banter, he told lie after lie about the “great” economy he

Biden answered the moderators’ questions based on the vast amount of knowledge he has about the subjects that were addressed.

delivered to the country; how “great” he was to the military and veteran population; how the January 6 Capitol attack and the Charlottesville racial march were “great” American stories that have been misreported by the media. see Biden, page 2A

By Leonard E. Colvin Chief Reporter Emeritus

New Journal and Guide

Sidney Carroll was sworn in as Norfolk’s Fire Chief on June 28, and for the ﬁrst time in its 150year existence, an African American will lead the Norfolk Fire-Rescue Department (NFD).

With department personnel and city and civic leaders on hand, Carroll was sworn-in as Norfolk’s Fire Chief, in the auditorium of the MacArthur Memorial theater. With his hand on a Bible held by his wife and Mayor Kenneth C. Alexander witnessing, the historic moment was recorded.

Chief Sidney Carroll joined Norfolk FireRescue in January of 1982.

The city announced his rise to the post as Top Fire Fighter in April. Carroll, born in Norfolk, joined Norfolk Fire-Rescue in January of 1982. He has served as a supervisor in all three operational battalions within the city. Now the city has an African American as Mayor, Fire Chief, and Police Chief. No other city in Hampton Roads carries this troika of city leadership. Carroll assumes the position five decades after the city sought to hire the first “certified” Black member of the Fire-Rescue Department. According to Norfolk’s Office of Communications and the New Journal and Guide archives, Black firemen involved in firefighting in Norfolk were considered as part of an “auxiliary” unit. see Chief, page 8A

Brenda H. Andrews Publisher

Continued from page 1A

Left unchecked and allowed to wander into la-la land by the two disengaged CNN moderators, Trump spoke convincingly into the camera as if he were at a campaign rally and was being applauded. It didn’t go well for Biden that night. It didn’t go well for Trump either because his lies showed his incompetence to lead the free world. I watched the entire disappointing debacle, hoping for a Biden recovery before the end. On more than one occasion, I caught a glimpse in Biden’s eye that suggested he wanted to quit the silly game he was engaged in playing with a liar, convicted felon, and man without scruples or integrity. He appeared to want to lash out; but, he’s too much of a gentleman to have done so. It was billed as a debate, after all.

BIDEN HAD FACTS AND TRUTH

The off-balanced and confused look Biden displayed at times has been reported by mainstream media as feeble and indicative of old age. I saw it as amazement and utter disbelief at the words coming out of Trump’s mouth which had absolutely nothing to do with anything he was asked. It is clear to me that Biden had been pumped with so many “correct” answers and “important” facts and points in preparation for the debate by his advisors—likely too many Millennials and GenZers— that he faltered in remembering every “correct” answer and “important” fact; wanting to get them all in; trying to stay on subject; not daring to forget the current question in order to challenge Trump’s crazy untruths.

Biden was prepared with facts and truth, but he fell short to Trump’s natural bullying style and overconﬁdent air unlike Hillary Clinton when Trump stalked her on stage during their second presidential candidate debate in 2016.

Biden didn’t tell his story of America’s comeback from the country’s devastation under Trump when nearly one million Americans—many Black— died from COVID which Trump racially popularized as the “China Virus”. Biden didn’t tell how well he has created more than 15 million jobs so far. How he—not Donald Trump—stewarded healthcare costs down, notably from hundreds of dollars to $35 on the drug insulin (which is vital for life to many Black Americans). And that’s for starters. Biden

PUBLISHER

Brenda H. Andrews

ASSISTANT TO

Desmond Perkins

ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Rosaland Tyler

CHIEF REPORTER

EMERITUS: Leonard E. Colvin

PRODUCTION:

A SIGN OF “HOPE”

The only sign of “hope” the television media offered me after the debate as they sought out people to explain what went wrong for Biden came from an interview with Gov. Gavin Newsom of California. I heard the interview only once that night; and not even once more since the night of the debate.

Newsom had his own talking point that night and he stuck to it, despite the reporter trying to drag him into the abyss of gloom where she and other reporters were sulking. (Heavens only knows what job was being done on the conservative media outlets I don’t routinely watch.)

Newsom said simply, “Worry less—Do More”. When pressed to explain what that meant after he refused to budge from that posture, he said, “Do something”—get Biden’s successful record out to the public, along with some other mandates. He maintained his calm demeanor, and I was able to tune out my fears from the distressing Thursday evening debate.

“WORRY LESS— DO MORE”

“Worry Less—Do More” is steeped in a message familiar to the Black community: “Worry Less, Trust God” and “Let Go and Let God”. I say it myself often, as I struggle to keep this historical Black institution, the 124-year-old New Journal and Guide, operational and relevant in a corporate white-run environment that downplays the role of the Black Press in maintaining the democracy

July 2, 2003

Edition of the Guide Registering To Vote In The Early ‘60s Required Passing Test

By Leonard E. Colvin

CHESAPEAKE

For America’s younger generation the Civil Rights Movement and the events which shaped that era are likely to appear as ancient history.

Yet., because of the movement, the Black community is now savoring a relatively peaceful time of education and professional advancement forged by the battles fought years ago. In 1960, then Cecilia Taliaferro was living in Norfolk County. Today it is called Chesapeake. She was a teacher at Booker T. Washington High School in Norfolk, where she taught Biology after graduating from Virginia Union University. She was among the first wave of Black World War II baby boomers.

Today, Cecelia Tucker is the Special Assistant to the President of Old Dominion University and a long time civic and social activist.

In the early 60s, few Black people in Virginia held the title of “registered voter”, for the poll tax, and other government intimidations blocked them from doing so.

Anyone wanting to register to vote in Norfolk County, instead of traveling to a courthouse or city hall, had to venture to the registrar’s home in

purging of voter polls, as well as divisive disinformation about candidates.

We have a Supreme Court that is codifying state decisions that overturn hard won voting rights and 50-year-old health care rights for women. And the radical court is getting more radical with its decisions.

MY ADVICE TO PRESIDENT BIDEN

in which they are the benefactors.

The Black Press is a resource that is helping Joe Biden and the Democrats deliver their messages to an inﬂuential market— Black voters who comprise the Democratic base. We have an investment in our community’s well-being.

And yet, when it comes to supporting our ability to stay in business—to support them—we are taken for granted and sent free press releases and photos instead of advertising dollars.

Recently, the Biden-Harris campaign decided it would invest $1.5 million into Black-owned media for the six or seven states considered “swing states”. Right now, every state is a ”swing state” when it comes to defeating Donald Trump’s agenda for the soul of this nation.

EVERY STATE IS A SWING STATE

We are living at a point in American history that is repeating an ugly part of itself before our very eyes and we need a president of integrity we can trust to know the right thing, do the right thing, and surround himself/herself with the right people.

Banning of books and whitewashing American history; heightened hate crimes and mass shootings; fake news and disinformation being presented as truth are all too common practices.

Voting freedom for Black Americans is being compromised by discriminatory voter ID laws, gerrymandering, shuttering of polling places in predominantly minority neighborhoods, limits on early voting and reckless

My advice to President Biden is to immediately enlarge his presence and outreach to Black voters through equitable paid ad messaging in the 200 plus Black-owned media companies, to include the New Journal and Guide representing some 500,000 Blacks in southeastern Virginia.

Secondly, I advise Mr. Biden to “be yourself going forth and be cautious when being schooled on how to

present yourself by wellmeaning young Millennial and GenZ advisors.” They live in a cyberworld of data, ﬁgures, algorithms, metrics, and artiﬁcial intelligence, with very limited scholarship in the ugly American history that older generations confronted to bring them to this moment in time.

Truth is, we need each other—the young and the old to progress. Biden comes from a generation where a handshake meant a sacred bond and trust. Where telling the truth exempliﬁed a person’s true worth. And those principles still work.

Biden knows that, too. “One thing I do know is how to tell the truth!”, he said to his North Carolina crowd.

I agree that the optics, as the mainstream media continues to stress, were at play during the debate. Trump appears physically younger than Biden. He has lied his way

through life—not dealing with the challenges.

Biden is an older man of dignity and integrity whose life scars show up very clearly. On June 19th, the nation celebrated Juneteenth and what it means; what it can teach us that we can apply to this moment in time where Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are under attack; where afﬁrmative action has been all but lost; and who knows the next attack.

I spoke in Chesapeake for the Juneteenth Foundation on the hope to be found in observing this holiday. Juneteenth, also called Freedom Day, has become a welcoming symbol of the long and courageous Black struggle for freedom in America. For all of our freedom.

Worry Less—Do More. This is not the time to jump the ship on Joe Biden. Too much is at stake.

The Tragedy of Mainstream Media Coverage of The Presidential Debate

By Dr. John E. Warren Publisher San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper

First, let it be said that the Black Press of America believes in our democratic process, and believes that the record of President Joe Biden is greater than a bad debate night with Donald Trump.

Second, the bigger tragedy was the mainstream media’s effort to make their coverage of last Thursday’s debate a matter of who did the better “sound bites” and not the substance of the issues put before the American people watching the debate.

As the Black Press of America, let it be said that we are appalled at the Editorial and News Broadcasts calling for the President to step down. It’s the media’s job to report

Dr. John E. Warren Publisher

the news and not initiate an orchestrated campaign to remove the President. Where is the media discussion about the issues, and who said what about them? Where was the major fact checking of all the lies Trump told?

The burden didn’t shift to Biden just because he chose not to respond to the issues the media had decided he should have addressed. It was not the job of the

From The Guide’s Archives

media to take the issue of the President’s age or push the issue of whether or not he should withdraw from the November 2024 election.

But time and time again, on Fox News and Face The Nation, as well as the Editorial positions of the New York Times and Atlanta Constitution, just to name a few, there was the pushing of the idea that the President was too old and should step down. Then there was the generating of polling questions to support the withdrawal of the President, which was not the job of the media.

Once again, it is the Black Press that emerges as the true “Trusted Messenger” not manipulating the news for ratings. “We the People” must not allow our silence to give consent to such media coverage.

Archives taken from the pages of the (New) Journal and Guide

Great Bridge.

“I do not recall the man’s name, but I do recall what happened this morning,” Tucker said. “I got out of my car and walked to the man’s front door. He opened it and told me that I had to go around to the back door to register. I could not enter his front door.”

“I followed orders,” she said. “I had to sit down at the kitchen table and then interpret a part of the U.S. Constitution. Many people did not and were denied the right to register. I did well. And I was registered.”

“But I will never forget how demeaning and hurtful that was,” she said. “That was such a great example of how harsh those times were. I do not think many people (today) can appreciate what people were experiencing back in the early 1960s.”

July 1, 1959

Edition of the Guide

Would It Be A First – Death Of A White Rapist?

BEAUFORT, S.C.

A young white Marine with “overpowering sex urges” faces the electric chair for the rape of a 47-year-old colored woman.

An all-white jury took only an hour to convict Fred J. Davis, 22, of Atlanta, without a recommendation of mercy.

The jury verdict made the death sentence mandatory under South Carolina law, and a circuit court judge

planned to announce the sentence on Thursday.

His attorney will appeal. Davis is believed to be the first white man in Southern history to be sentenced to death for raping a Negro woman.

There were no apparent racial tensions on either side in the seacoast town of 5,000 people near Parris Island Marine Base, where Davis is stationed. There were no Negroes on the jury.

Meanwhile, in another rape case in Beaufort, a young colored man “seeking revenge” was convicted in the “attempted rape” of a white woman in the same court only 24 hours before Fred J. Davis was convicted.

Both convictions carry the mandatory death penalty, and Circuit Judge J. Henry Johnson, who heard both cases, was expected to pronounce sentencing. An all-male jury of six Negroes and six whites convicted Israel Sharpe, 20, of breaking into the home of a 21-yearold housewife May 6 and attempting to rape her.

Behind-the-Scenes Issues

In Moron’s Resignation HAMPTON

Smoldering in the background of the resignation of Dr. Alonzo G. Moron as president of Hampton Institute (HI) were long-standing disagreements between the president, the Board of Trustees, and the Alumni Association.

These differences were brought sharply into

focus during the annual business meeting of the National Hampton Almuni Association on May 30.

The association, after a spirited session attended by Dr. Moron, passed a resolution requesting the Board of Trustees to accept his resignation offer “without delay” and to “proceed to the election of the best-qualified person available to administer the affairs of Hampton.

Dr. Moron had tendered his resignation on March 31. Then, on April 30, over 600 students at HI made a moonlight march to the president’s house to give him their pledge of confidence.

The following day, the Board, in executive session, tabled the resignation until the June meeting.

President Moron said for two years, he has been trying to get approval for a program to improve Hampton’s classroom facilities and buildings, which he said were inadequate and “fire traps.”

He said a major capital funds campaign will be necessary to raise money for the purpose. Hampton has not made such an appeal since 1926-27.

Dr. Moron says the trustees have not approved his recommendations. Morons charged the trustees interfered with the administration of the college, which is his responsibility by dealing directly with faculty, alumni and students.

No Schools For Colored; Private Ones For Whites FARMVILLE, VA

Prince Edward County decided to close down all of its public schools in defiance against desegregation. The move came shortly before the U.S. Supreme Court turned down a last-ditch plea from the Prince Edward School Board for a delay of integration pending one last appeal. The County Board of Supervisors climaxed a crisis of eight years by formally and finally deciding to close all 21 public schools in the county. It was the first such action in the nation.

Only an 11th-hour appeal by the NAACP promised by attorney Oliver W. Hill of Richmond can keep more than 1,600 colored and 1,300 white students in the county from having their public education ended. The whites may switch to private makeshift schools, planned years ago, but there is no prospect for formal public education for colored students.

Heats On: 100 Degrees

TIDEWATER A dry high pressure system stalled in the Southeast, causing the first severe heat wave of the season this week and nudged the mercury to 100 degrees and higher at many points in the Carolinas and Virginia.

Alumni and Trustees, in turn, accused Dr. Moron of being unwilling to work with the Board except on terms he dictated.

HBCU

Continued from page 1A

Records show that in 2022, Norfolk State also reported an enrollment increase. It enrolled 1,302 new freshman students and acquired 345 more new students through the transfer process. The increase represented a 17 percent total increase in new incoming students over the previous year.

Meanwhile, Virginia State University in Petersburg reported an unprecedented increase for two years in a row starting in the fall-2022.

The fall 2022-23 incoming class was Virginia State’s largest incoming class of new students in more than three decades, the school noted at the time in a press release on its website.

“VSU welcomed more than 1700 new students (ﬁrst-time freshmen and transfer students). This is an increase of more than 550 new students over this same time last year. The 53 percent increase in ﬁrst-time students marks the second consecutive year of record enrollment at VSU.”

Dr. Alexis Brooks-Walter, associate vice-provost for enrollment management at Virginia State, said, “The average grade point average of our new students exceeds 3.0. VSU granted more than 300 academic scholarships for incoming students in fall 2022.”

Last year, Virginia Union in Richmond also reported an unprecedented 31 percent surge in undergraduate enrollment compared to the previous academic year. Speciﬁcally, more than 1,200 undergraduate and 400 graduate students enrolled at Virginia Union

Hampton University President

Darrell K. Williams said in a recent statement on the school’s website, “This increase in applications is a testament to our reputation as a premier institution for higher education.”

for the academic year 202324.

Dr. Hakim J. Lucas, president and CEO of Virginia Union, said in a statement at the time, “Virginia Union has welcomed students for nearly 160 years, and this is one of our strongest years ever. . .This enrollment is a testimony to our faculty who teach students, our alumni who inspire them, and our community that guides students to a lifetime of success.”

Meanwhile, Howard University also reported a 12 percent increase in applications in just one year. Applications increased from 33,000 in 2023 to 37,000 in 2024. The university had to lower its acceptance rate due to the overload of interest, dropping it from 36 percent to “about 30 to 32 percent,”

Undergraduate Admissions Ofﬁcer Andrew Taylor told The Hilltop, Howard’s student newspaper, at the time.

Howard Student Clarisa Kandakai, a prospective English major and political science minor from Prince George’s County, Md. explained why she enrolled at Howard. “After visiting and looking into all of the schools, I just felt like Howard was the one,” she told The Hilltop. “I loved the campus and organizations.”

Other HBCUs are

experiencing enrollment upticks including Baltimore’s Morgan State University. It traces its enrollment surge back to 2018. This past fall, Morgan State’s enrollment increased by 27 percent, with 9,808 students attending the school.

Meanwhile, Morgan State enrollment ofﬁcials aim to enroll 10,000 students by 2030, Khala Granville, Morgan State’s director of undergraduate admission and recruitment, told Higher Ed Dive in a March 19, 2024 interview.

“Among the institutions that have seen enrollment surge is the nation’s largest HBCU, North Carolina A&T State University,” Higher Ed Dive noted. “Its enrollment reached 13,883 students in fall 2023, an increase of nearly 3 percent compared to the previous academic year. Others include Howard University, Delaware State University, North Carolina Central University, Wilberforce University and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.”

Unprecedented growth has also occurred at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Its overall enrollment grew 19 percent between the 2021 and 2023 fall terms, reaching 2,840 students. With that increase, it has almost returned to its pre-pandemic enrollment numbers.

BIDEN CAMPAIGN HOSTS

ROBUST WEEKEND OF ACTION FOLLOWING SLEEPY DEBATE

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

Following a lackluster debate performance by President Joe Biden last week, the BidenHarris re-election campaign has sprung into action, seemingly galvanized by the persistent falsehoods of former President Donald Trump, who will be sentenced this month for the 34 felonies a jury convicted him of in New York.

After the poorly moderated CNN debate, the Democratic base invested over $14 million in the campaign as a result.

A “Weekend of Action” mobilization blitz with over 1,500 events held across crucial battleground states marked the surge in momentum. According to the Biden-Harris campaign, the weekend marked the most successful organizing effort of the campaign cycle so far, with volunteer signups tripling compared to an average day.

Kicking off the weekend, Biden rallied more than 2,000 voters in North Carolina on Friday, delivering a passionate speech that set the tone for a series of events, including door-knocking, phone banks, postcard parties, picnics, and more. High-proﬁle ﬁgures such as Governors Wes Moore and Tim Walz, Former U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, Senator

Chris Coons, and DNC Chair Jaime Harrison joined forces to boost campaign activities across the country.

In Pennsylvania, U.S. Senator Chris Coons emphasized the stakes of the upcoming election during a rally in Montgomery County, urging volunteers to defend Pennsylvanians’ freedoms against Trump’s threats.

Former Governor Jennifer Granholm, canvassing in Southeast Michigan alongside Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, highlighted Biden’s achievements, contrasting them with Trump’s agenda. “Ninety minutes does not wipe out three and a half years,” Granholm said. “You have more people under health care than at any time in American history, and what does the other guy want to do? He wants to gut the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, Joe Biden is campaigning for the soul of America. The contrast is so clear.”

In Wisconsin, Maryland Governor Wes Moore participated in events focusing on Black voter engagement, while in Nevada, Vice President Kamala Harris rallied supporters in East Las Vegas, criticizing Trump’s stances on Roe v. Wade, tax cuts for the wealthy, and the 2024 election results.

Georgia, Arizona and Florida also witnessed robust campaign efforts, with volunteers canvassing, phone banking, and participating in community events.

Biden in North Carolina on Friday after his Thursday night debate.

Photo: Courtesy

ARE

WE SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGED A

PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF SOCIOLOGY

VIRGINIA TECH

JOE BIDEN SHOULD STEP ASIDE

By Wornie Reed, Ph.D.

President Biden should step aside from running for reelection for the good of the country and his legacy.

Depending on the poll, Biden is either in a dead heat or trailing Trump in the race, and his performance in the debate has likely put him in a bigger hole. In a poll after the debate, nearly three-fourths of registered voters said Biden does not have the mental and cognitive health to serve as president and that he should not be running for president. Such an assessment will be extremely difﬁcult, if not impossible, to overcome.

A Donald Trump presidency is too great a risk to take. On the one hand, it is like giving the codes for nuclear weapons to a ﬁrst grader.

And please note that no one can stop a United States President from using nuclear weapons.

On the other hand, a Trump presidency would be a dictatorship with all the societal institutions working to serve Trump— ﬁnancially and legally or illegally. There is nothing positive that comes from a Trump victory.

I have never liked or supported the use of debates between presidential candidates, principally because presidents do not operate like debaters. For starters,

One person lied articulately without any fact checks, and the other followed the rules feebly.

they are never alone when they make decisions about critical issues, and they do not have to provide quick and short answers to serious issues without the advice of experts.

A political debate should involve two individuals articulating their respective positions on issues.

However, this socalled debate was hardly that. One person lied articulately without any fact checks, and the other followed the rules feebly. And the liar was declared the winner. Such a spectacle is not a sign of a healthy democracy.

Yet, I watched the entirety of this debate as I wanted to see if Biden would present in a manner that would dispel the age issue. He did not. He underscored it. He was too weak physically and mentally on that debate stage. Consequently, he is unlikely to overcome Trump's lead, no matter how difﬁcult it is to understand such a lead by a convicted felon who needs to learn how the government works.

Think about the socalled debate. Trump proved that he is still ignorant about how the government works. He showed that he did not

yet know how tariffs work, and he consistently lied about his record and misrepresented his policy positions on numerous occasions during the debate. Yet, President Biden could not effectively counter any of Trump's wild exaggerations and lies. Even worse, he struggled to articulate his own accomplishments in a manner that viewers could comprehend.

Biden has been an excellent president, accomplishing more for the country than most presidents.

In a sane world, he would be ahead of Trump, the leading candidate for the worst president ever.

But we do not live in a sane world, and despite his appearance in North Carolina the next day, Biden has not shown himself up to the task of campaigning for the presidency and managing the country effectively for four more years.

We must save and improve this problematic democracy. Knowing what Trump has already done or attempted and what he and his henchmen are telling us they will do in his next term, we must either save this democracy or lose it, perhaps forever. see Biden, page 7A

Trump’s Quest for Support from Black Rappers

By David W. Marshall

(TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

In American politics, alliances and endorsements from cultural icons are not uncommon. They have the potential to play a pivotal role in determining public opinion as well as the electoral outcome in this year’s presidential election.

During his stint as a reality TV personality and later as President of the United States, Donald Trump sought support from Black rappers, a demographic with signiﬁcant inﬂuence in pop culture. According to CBS exit polls, Trump won 8% of Black voters in the 2016 presidential election and 12% in 2020.

While Trump’s past support from rap artists did not necessarily translate into decisive gains among Black voters, his support among rappers in 2024 appears to be growing, and polling data suggests young Black voters are showing much more openness to Trump, thanks in part to COVID-19 stimulus checks, criminal pardons, and attention.

To achieve an effective election strategy, Trump will never need a substantial number of Black votes to go his way. If he can continue peeling away a small percentage of Black votes from his Democratic opponent, it can make a signiﬁcant difference in who wins in November. By capitalizing on

CARRTOON By Walt Carr

By Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. (Ret.) (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

A few days ago, Angel Reese ﬁnished a game with 18 points and 11 rebounds. She tied Candace Parker for most consecutive doubledoubles in a season. She was the youngest player in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) to have nine consecutive double-doubles.

Now the average person might have no idea who Angel Reese is and why I am writing about a basketball player when I so often write about women who were civil and human rights subjects.

Well, even if you don’t like basketball, you do understand historically the difference in treatment for African American women and other women— especially white women.

If you don’t know who Angel Reese is, as a daughter of Louisiana, I know her from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I know her as a super star basketball player. I know her as a young woman who earned her degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations and minors in Communication Studies, Leadership Development and Psychology. In her two seasons at LSU, Angel was unstoppable, earning

his celebrity status, the former president has an uncanny means of generating media attention in shaping his populist political persona, which can prove to be effective when targeted toward people who are tired of the political establishment and status quo, who are unhappy with the current political system, people who feel that promises have not been kept, and who are just simply ready to shake things up while unsure of the outcome. From the beginning, white evangelicals were the pollical target. Now, it has expanded to include young Black voters through Black rappers. On his ﬁnal full day in ofﬁce in 2021, Trump granted pardons to rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black. During this year’s election campaign, Black is now among those in the “Black Americans for Trump” coalition. Earlier this month, rapper Sada

By capitalizing on his celebrity status, the former president has an uncanny means of generating media attention in shaping his populist political persona.

Baby attended an outreach event for voters at a Detroit church where he encouraged people to vote for Trump. Rappers Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow, wellknown in New York City’s drill music scene, spoke on behalf of Trump during a May rally in the Bronx. One of the most notable cases of Trump’s engagement with Black rappers was Kanye West during the 2018 presidential campaign. West would later praise then-President Trump, referring to him as a “brother” before posting images of himself wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat. After taping a Saturday Night Live episode, West told the audience, “If someone inspires me and I connect with them, I don’t have to believe in all [their] policies.” see Quest, page 7A

By Julianne Malveaux (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

Could the “historic debate” between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump possibly live up to the hype? CNN promoted it nonstop, and had analysis days before, and for hours before and after the actual 90-minute debate.

Despite the hype, neither candidate knocked the ball out of the park. President Biden offered an uneven performance, with a slow and mumbling start, some strong and animated answers, and some garbled answers. Folks like me desperately hoped to see the Biden the March 2024 State of the Union Address; instead, we got the Biden of the Trump commercials.

He didn’t fall up the stairs or off his bike, but he truly toppled off his game. This was a high-stakes game for Biden, and unfortunately, he lost. Should one debate performance determine the outcome of the election? Probably not, but with millions watching, President Biden did not strengthen his campaign. Indeed, the debate was painful to watch. In fairness, Biden handlers said he was suffering from a cold, which may have impaired his performance.

Watching Biden was painful, and Trump was infuriating. That man is a

All-America honors both seasons. While at LSU, she received all kinds of top awards.

Angel is now with the Chicago Sky. Just a few days ago Angel’s team won over Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever team—a team Angel’s team won over the Indiana Fever by a score of 8887. The game came to be known as “The rookie battle between Reese and Clark.”

Until that observation, the game was just a game between the Sky and the Fever. After all, there were other young women playing and donated to the score of both teams.

It’s obvious some of the critics want to promote a battle between Angel and Caitlin. Both young women are obviously great players, but being an African American woman, I can see the attempt by some to make Angel the “bad guy.” She’s not. Refuse to listen to the

My advice to Angel is, “Don’t allow the disparate treatment to prevent you from doing your very best every time you go on the basketball court.

critics who are doing their best to put the young women up against each other and praise both for their talent! Angel has expressed her frustration with what she sees as preferential treatment toward Clark. She said, “It feels like Caitlin gets all the attention and praise, while the rest of us work just as hard.” My advice to Angel is, “Don’t allow the disparate treatment to prevent you from doing your very best every time you go on the basketball court. Black women are accustomed to the disparate treatment no matter what we do, so just don’t worry about what is said in the media. Just focus on doing what you do, and let the media do what they do.”

see Angel, page 5A

blatant liar, he repeats himself incessantly, he is rude, and he refused to answer questions repeatedly. He kept talking about our “ruined” country, accused President Bident of “destroying” the country, lied about the open borders and immigrants, took credit for Biden policies (such as $35 insulin), sand stirred up racial animus.

“They are taking Black jobs”, Trump railed, speaking of immigrants. (By the way, what are “Black” jobs)? He also claimed he never said “there are good people on both sides” when racists marched on Charlottesville. He dithered in response to questions about abortion and rained negative comments on the President. IF I had a dollar for every time he said “worst”, I’d have enough for a nice lunch.

Flash polls say Trump won the debate by a wide margin; I disagree. Trump

Still, if we have the choice between a Liarin-Chief and a Mumbler-inChief, I’ll take the mumbler every time

won on style; Biden won on substance. Trump got his zingers in with his lies, calling Biden “the Manchurian candidate”, accusing him of taking money from China, and repeatedly calling him the “worst” President ever. He also predictably called out Hunter Biden’s three felony convictions, but Biden had snappy clapback, calling out Trump’s convictions, the money he must pay E. Jean Carroll for sexual assault, and the Stormy Daniels relationship. Biden says Mr. Trump has the morals of an alley cat (that was funny), and generally comported himself decently, if feebly. Those who think Trump won this debate are looking at the undeniable optics. Trump was a vigorous liar, while Biden was the less vigorous, even mumbling, policy expert.

see Chief, page 5A

Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. (Ret.)

Julianne Malveaux

David W. Marshall

PROJECT 2025 IS THE NEW SOUTHERN MANIFESTO

By Marc H. Morial CEO, National Urban League (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

“Project 25 is a radical, extreme, pro-authoritarianism plan pushed by conservatives who are desperate to take our country backwards. It is a movement led by far-right extremists that attacks our nation’s founding principles, such as our system of checks and balances, freedom of speech and of the press, and separation of church and state. These are the very principles that keep our country strong and make America the best nation on earth.”

— U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu

Eliminating safe, legal abortion and effective contraception. Obliterating of the very mention of sexual orientation and gender identity, diversity, equity, and inclusion, reproductive health, and reproductive rights from every federal rule, regulation, contract, grant, or piece of legislation. Replacing skilled civil servants with extremist partisan hacks.

This is Project 2025, the new Southern Manifesto. It is almost certain to be America’s future if Donald Trump is elected to another term.

Drafted in response to the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Brown v. Board of Education and signed by 19 Senators and 82 Representatives from the South, the Southern Manifesto – ofﬁcially titled “Declaration of Constitutional Principles” -- was a vow to uphold racial segregation and white supremacy.

Project 2025 goes even further. It seeks to reimplement a rigid social hierarchy that oppresses not

only people of color, but also women, non-Christians, the LGBTQ+ community, working families, and immigrants.

Key to this dystopian agenda is purging the government of nonpartisan civil servants who are loyal to the Constitution and replacing them with extremist partisan hacks loyal only to Trump.

A list of non-partisan government ofﬁcials who might stand in the way of Trump’s agenda already is being compiled by a darkmoney “slime machine,” the Associated Press revealed this week.

With the entire federal government under his direct control, Trump would be free to act on his vow to turn the Department of Justice into an instrument of retribution against his political adversaries.

The radical, repressive, and regressive regime previewed in Project 2025 includes:

• Dismantling the foundations of immigration policy, tearing families apart, turning away desperate refugees, and stripping away protections for Dreamers.

• Undermining climate change mitigation, environmental justice, and the transition to

clean energy

• Eliminating racial justice initiatives and preserving advantages for white Americans, even perverting the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division to “investigate and prosecute all state and local governments, institutions of higher education, corporations, and any other private employers” with diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.

• Gutting public education, wiping out Head Start and other support for low-income students, and withdrawing federal oversight of public schools.

• Slashing health care insurance, putting 18 million Americans at risk of losing coverage entirely, killing the drug price provisions of the Inﬂation Reduction Act and Affordable Care Act’s protections for pre-existing conditions.

• Shutting down access to safe abortions, contraception, and other reproductive health care, putting women’s lives at risk.

• Deleting “sexual orientation and gender identity” from all federal rules, reinstating a transgender military ban, and limiting LGBTQ workplace discrimination protections.

Even the architects of Project 2025 understand that its grisly agenda appalls and disgusts a majority of Americans who would reject it in a free and fair election – just as they rejected Trump in 2020. But democracy prevailed then only because the Vice President and ofﬁcials in the departments of Justice, Defense, and Homeland Security thwarted Trump’s attempted Trump coup.

If Trump manages to seize

a second term, there won’t be anyone left in the federal government to stop him from undermining future election.

There won’t be anyone left in the federal government to stop his most extreme proposals, like disassembling the Veterans Administration, allowing Russian spies to remain in the country, shooting racial justice protestors, deploying the military against migrants, kicking undocumented children out of schools, or dropping nuclear bombs into the eyes of hurricanes.

The echoes of the Southern Manifesto’s in Project 2025 should come as no surprise, given the racist history of the Heritage Foundation, which spearheaded its production. The organization is rooted in the mid-1970s movement to protect racially segregated schools, waging its ﬁrst public battle against multicultural textbooks - “n***er books,” as some opponents called them.

In fact, the coalition that developed Project 2025 includes at least nine SPLC-designated hate and antigovernment groups, including Alliance Defending Freedom, Center for Immigration Studies, and Moms for Liberty.

The original Southern Manifesto took aim at “outside meddlers” who sought racial justice. The new Southern Manifesto takes aim at “woke culture warriors.” Trump’s allies say “woke” means as “the belief there are systemic injustices in American society and the need to address them.”

We stand guilty as charged and gladly assume the mantle of “warriors” in the battle for equity, inclusion, and democracy.

Continued from page 4A

President Joe Biden spoke after he was rated badly in the Presidential debate a few days ago, but he didn’t quit. He gave the best advice in North Carolina at a massive rally. He said, “When you fall down, just get up.” In the eyes of those of us who know Angel and know how talented she is, will pull for her every time she goes on the court. We don’t care about her critics. We love

Chief

Continued from page 4A

her, admire her and know she’ll be a true star in the WNBA! Among the women we know who love basketball also know great skill when we see it. Angel has got it and we are her eternal fan club! There are young women across the world who see Angel and want to be like her. She’s the inspiration so many Black youth need. I pray that she’ll never stop being the real star she is. I know I’m a member of ‘Angel’s Fan Club.’ It’s my wish that she never forgets the great influence she’s having on young people and that she’ll remind them of the urgency of voting.

Tens of millions of people watched the debacle that CNN described as an “historic” debate. I walked away infuriated about the Trump lies and concerned about President Biden’s wellbeing. And I walked away with questions. Will there be a rematch? Will Trump’s lies be fact checked and widely circulated?

Vice-President Kamala Harris did a great job by saying the President, “had a weak start but ended strong”. Nice save. But the raw truth is that for all his preparation, President Biden dropped several balls during this debate and missed opportunity to make important points. Still, if we have the choice between a Liar-in-Chief and a Mumbler-in-Chief, I’ll take the mumbler every time. Dr. Julianne Malveaux is a DC based economist and author.

Donald Trump is a worst liar than Lillian Helman, the early twentieth century writer whose rival wrote that “every word she writes is a lie including “and” and “the”. He lied about January 6. He would not conﬁrm that he would accept the results of the 2024 election. As Biden cleverly pointed out, he has lied about his height and weight, and probably also about his golf handicap. But Biden didn’t check all his lies, as he might have. Sometimes he had time and the moderators had to say he had a few more seconds to make a point. In contrast, while many did not expect Trump to keep his cool, the fact is that he mostly did, often speaking in calmer tones than he usually does. I am among those who was surprised at Trump’s demeanor, but unsurprised his lies.

Marc H. Morial

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: We are reprinting the 2024 Bachelor Benedict Social Club story that appeared in the June 27-July 3, 2024 edition with submitted corrections on picture identi ﬁ cations. Congratulations to this year’s debutantes.

BACHELOR-BENEDICT SOCIAL CLUB OF NORFOLK PROUDLY PRESENTS ITS 2024 DEBUTANTES

The

NSU Dean Named National Fellow Among U.S. Education Leaders

(NSU NEWSROOM)

Dr. Denelle WallaceAlexander, Dean of the School of Education at Norfolk State University, was recently named an Impact Academy fellow through the national nonproﬁt organization Deans for Impact (DFI). Dr. WallaceAlexander joins a cohort of leaders chosen for their commitment to improving educator preparation.

Educator-preparation programs today face complex challenges as they recruit and prepare teachers who are equipped to engage all PK-12 students in rigorous, equitable, and affirming learning experiences. More than ever, the field needs leaders who can strengthen and diversify the educator workforce. DFI aims to fill this need through its Impact Academy fellowship, which has empowered more than 130 dean-level leaders to date with skills, knowledge, and strategies to prioritize instructional quality and build more equitable systems of teaching and learning.

Dr. Wallace-Alexander is one of 17 leaders announced as part of the fellowship’s ninth cohort. These fellows lead programs that serve 19 U.S. states and a broad diversity of geographic contexts from coast to coast. Forty-seven percent lead institutions that serve a majority of aspiring

Dr. Denelle Wallace-Alexander

teachers of color, and 41 percent are leaders of color themselves. Six are MinorityServing Institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Predominantly Black Institutions, and a Hispanic-Serving Institution. Collectively, 48 percent of the aspiring teachers these institutions annually serve identify as people of color. In reaction to her selection, Dr. Wallace-Anderson said, “I cannot sum it up any better than famed educator Rita Pierson who said, ‘Every child deserves a champion: an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists they become the best they can possibly be.’ It is my belief that my mission in life is to instill this same belief in all of our students, especially our teacher preparation candidates.”

Illyana Turner

Makayla Parker Salem

Rhyan

Cidra Robert-Johnson Churchland HS

Iyana

Malye Hawes Landstown HS

Janae Tunstall

Giselle

Kynnadi Robbins

Mya Truesdale

Trindadee

School board panel

BTW ALUMNI AND FRIENDS TAKE CASE TO NORFOLK SCHOOL BOARD

NORFOLK

Members of the Uniﬁed Booker T. Washington Alumni & Friends were posted inside and outside of the Norfolk School Administration building for the June 26th School Board meeting. The Fighting Bookers and Friends have been meeting over the past months to galvanize community support for what they call “unsafe, unhealthy and inequitable conditions of Booker T. Washington High School”.

During the meeting, persons speaking for the coalition noted speciﬁcally inequitable funding, safety for BTW students and staff, mold and asbestos, curriculum, renovations, and future plans for the school.

Recently the group gathered petitions requesting the School Board would release of details of its allocation of funds to Norfolk Public Schools. Speakers on hand included Corenthia Picou, Yvonne Wagner, Vivian Hester, Terry Holmes and Delise Jones.

Biden

Continued from page 4A

Thus, serious pressure should be put on Biden to step aside. He is simply too old.

Perhaps many supporters were shocked to see him so old and feeble because the presidency ages people. It is a heavy-duty job. Trump is the only president I have seen who did not seem to age in ofﬁce. And we know why. He was less engaged in doing the real work of the presidency than previous presidents.

Our democracy, with its many faults, has been hobbled signiﬁcantly in the last few years, not only by Trump but by the Republican party. We must move to stop this ongoin destruction. The danger to the country is too great not to do everything possible to avoid a Trump presidency.

I suggest a three-step process to get Biden to agree

Quest

Continued from page 4A

Detroit-based rapper Icewear Vezzo told Fox News, “A lot of Democrats assume that [we’re} just supposed to vote blindly. I feel like our votes should be worked for, I feel like our parents blindly voted for generations, but I think this generation is now understanding that we have to ask questions.” Vezzo, who said he would encourage his followers to vote for Trump, makes a valid point about asking questions. As a social justice advocate, I have no choice but to assess candidates and elections from the viewpoint of fairness. Therefore, I agree with Kayne West’s statement that we don’t have to agree with everything a particular candidate or elected ofﬁcial stands for. But as people of color, if we are sincere about maintaining “justice for all,” then there are certain boundaries we should never go beyond when voting in the best interest of the Black community at large. Personally, I supported

Deceit

Continued from page 1A

The president reminded debate viewers that they had all witnessed a Trumpsupporting mob attack the U.S. Capitol, including assaults on police ofﬁcers. “The Capitol was ransacked,” Biden asserted. “Folks, for all of Trump’s lies, we did learn some important truths. We learned he is still proud of being the person who killed Roe v. Wade. Donald Trump showed us who he is last night. We have to believe him.”

Although Biden received poor marks and criticism for his performance, backlash against Trump also proved swift and severe. Democratic Party of Virginia Chair Susan Swecker, Chair of the DNC Veterans and Military Families Council, Army veteran Terron Sims II, Chair of the Virginia Beach Democratic Committee, and Air Force veteran Sean Monteiro called out Trump for his long record of disrespecting Americans in uniform. They highlighted his past comments, referring to those killed in service as “suckers” and “losers.”

They criticized his efforts with MAGA GOP extremists to cut veterans’ beneﬁts, which would have a signiﬁcant impact on the Hampton Roads area — home to nearly

120,000 active-duty military members and 220,000 veterans.

“Donald Trump’s record, rhetoric, and actions have all proved that he is against everything that our military stands for and works to protect,” Swecker stated.

The litany of key questions Trump refused to answer on the debate stage further highlighted his evasion and dishonesty. Instead, Trump deﬂected, blamed others, and continued his pattern of misinformation. He also made racially charged claims about immigrants taking jobs from Black and Hispanic Americans. “They’re taking Black jobs now, and it could be 18, it could be 19, and even 20 million people,” Trump said, showing just how racist he can be. “They’re taking Black jobs, and they’re taking Hispanic jobs, and you haven’t seen it yet, but you’re going to see something that’s going to be the worst in our history.”

Derrick Johnson, CEO of the NAACP, responded succinctly, “There’s no such thing as a Black job or a white job.”

“For over a century, the NAACP has worked tirelessly to ensure Black voices are heard in every election,” Johnson stated.

“This year is no different. We need candidates who are going to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion, not attempt to mischaracterize Black workers as anything but American workers.”

to step down. First: Allow 1-2 weeks for him to step down because of this public wringing of hands

Second, Top Democrats would go to Biden and ask him to step down to accomplish his objective: to defeat Trump since he is unlikely to do so in his weakened state.

This group should emphasize that Biden would burnish his legacy by voluntarily stepping down; however, he might tarnish his legacy by hanging on and losing to Trump.

Third: Exert more pressure. The cost of losing is too great to avoid pushing the issue.

I thought Biden was too old to run in 2020. After he won the nomination, I thought he might win the presidency, do some of the things he promised, and announce 1.5 years before the 2024 election that he would not be running for reelection.

Trump is also too old. He is only three years younger than Biden, but he appeared

the efforts of Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger as GOP lawmakers on the House Jan.6 committee.

They displayed tremendous political courage and patriotism when investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. In some ways, it was inspirational, but I still disagree with their partisan voting records. Most likely, I would not vote for them in a general election. While Black rappers are capable of inﬂuencing younger voters, the critical issues surrounding police brutality and accountability cannot be forgotten. Black children were six times more likely to be shot to death by police than their white counterparts, according to a study in the journal Pediatrics.

While Blacks suffer an unfair burden of aggressive policing, MAGA candidates have shown an unwillingness to address the issue through legislation. On March 1, 2024, President Biden called for Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. As of today, there’s been nothing from the Republicancontrolled Congress.

Again, as a social justice advocate, I must also agree

to be much younger in the debate, proving that calendar age is not the issue, but functional age is. When I worked for IBM in the 1960s, the CEO was required to step down at 62. The company thought the CEO’s job was too taxing for a person that old. I thought age 62 was too young to be a retirement age. At the time, I thought it should be at least 65, if not 70. Since then, the retirement age has increased, but many 80+-year-old people may be too old to be in the Ofﬁce of the Presidency. At this point, Biden cannot be removed from the nomination as he already has the majority of the delegates. So, he would have to release his delegates to vote at the convention, choosing from among the viable candidates still standing after a summer of primary-like campaigning. That was the way presidential nominations happened until 1968. Perhaps as a senior statesman, Biden would be given a prominent speaking role at the convention.

with Vezzo. Younger voters should ask pertinent questions. They need to ask the right questions because there are reasons why their parents and grandparents were consistent in voting for Democrats. Conservatives switched political allegiance and left the Democratic Party in the 1960s after Democrats became the defender of the 14th Amendment (full citizenship for people of color), as well as becoming a party of racial inclusion. Republican Sen. Mitt Romney recently exposed the truth. He told writer McKay Coppins as part of his forthcoming biography, “A very large portion of my party really doesn’t believe in the Constitution.” Romney justiﬁes why progressives have earned the Black vote. They fought the battle to achieve and maintain full citizenship rights dating back to the Reconstruction era. With these modern-day conservatives, there will be no end to this ﬁght.

David W. Marshall founded the faith-based organization TRB: The Reconciled Body and is the author of the book God Bless Our Divided America.

Outside the school board meeting with protest signs.

Inside the school board meeting awaiting a chance to speak.

All photos by Ernest Lowery

Former Sen. Lionell Spruill

Appointed To Norfolk State’s BOD

CHESAPEAKE

Former Veteran Senator Lionell Spruill Sr. will be returning to Norfolk State University as a member of the NSU Board of Directors. Spruill, an NSU alumnus, was appointed on June 26, 2024 by Virginia Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin for a four-year term on the NSU Board. A Democrat, Spruill served in the Virginia Legislature for 30 years until 2024 when redistricting placed him in the same district as another veteran state

40 Acres

Continued from page 1A

Pompey and Patience had seven children. Their daughter Florence Jackson described Pompey as a tall, quiet man who regretted never learning to write, according to Mila Rios, her great-granddaughter. But Pompey did learn to sign his name. A Freedmen’s Bureau Bank record from 1874 shows his signature at the bottom. It would take 20 years from the day he opened that bank account until he was ﬁnally able to buy his own piece of land.

In 1894, Jackson paid $75 to purchase a parcel in East Savannah, then an unincorporated part of the city where freed slaves lived. The deed mentioned that Jackson was president of the East Savannah Home Protection Society, which Rios believes was a mutual aid organization he founded for freed people.

Florence recalled growing up in a shotgun house her father built on that land, and learning to make lye soap from hog fat and dandelion wine from their garden. Pompey ensured all his children learned to read and write, Rios said. Florence completed eighth grade, the highest available to her. But

senator, Louise Lucas.. He represented the 5th district of the Virginia Senate from 2016 to 2024. Between 1994 and 2016, he was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates for the 77th district, made up of parts of the cities of Chesapeake and Suffolk.

Spruill also serves as a member of the Chesapeake Regional Hospital Authority Board of Directors, after being appointed by the Chesapeake City Council. He lives in Chesapeake.

Chief

she would spend her life disappointed that, despite her education, the only job she could get in Savannah was washing clothes for white families.

Some of Jackson’s descendants joined the wave of Black Americans who migrated north in the early decades of the 20th century. His granddaughter Louise— Florence’s daughter— moved to Philadelphia in 1923 because her husband, a construction worker, was being paid less than his white co-workers, Rios said. Florence and her husband followed them north.

By then, the promise of 40 Acres and a Mule had long faded, and the land title Jackson received was worthless. It would take decades for his granddaughter Louise, who worked as a nurse in a hospital maternity ward, and her husband to save enough money to purchase real estate. In 1951, they bought a quarter of an acre plot in a racially mixed Philadelphia suburb. On a warm spring day in 2022, a “No Trespassing” sign dangled from a chainlink fence around a stretch of overgrown ﬁelds that were once part of Grove Hill. Some of that land is now for sale—the future

Some of Jackson’s descendants joined the wave of Black Americans who migrated north in the early decads of the 20th century.

location of a luxury gated community called The Habersham Plantation.

An ad describes it as one of “Savannah’s hidden gems,” and promised ﬁshing, crabbing, boating, and kayaking on the Grove River.

An empty 4-acre lot—the size of Pompey Jackson’s plot—sold for $250,000 in October 2023. Based on that sale, 40 acres on Grove Hill could be worth about $2.5 million today. That kind of generational wealth could have had a huge impact on freedmen and their descendants, said William “Sandy” Darity Jr., an economics professor at Duke University and a leading advocate for reparations.

Some of the land awarded under President Lincoln to Pompey Jackson as reparations for slavery and taken away by President Johnson is now for sale—the future location of a luxury gated community called The Habersham Plantation. An empty 4-acre lot—the size of Pompey Jackson’s plot—sold for $250,000 in October 2023. Based on that sale, 40 acres could be worth about $2.5 million today.

Continued from page 1A

Black men who worked as firemen at that time were not regular and certified personnel.

This was, according to Communications Director Kelly Straub and the Public Information Director, recorded in the Fire Department’s 1942 yearbook.

In April, 1942, the Yearbook says, “To cope with the increasing fire problem within the black community Station 2 mans their Auxiliary Fire Dept. with a squad of all-black auxiliary firefighters, headed by Capt. B.E. Davis.”

Years later, according to the GUIDE Archives, with great fanfare, the city announced Lyman G. Snead Jr. as its first regular

“hired” Black fireman, March 11, 1967.

The story was headlined “Once He Ran From Fire –Now He Runs to It.”

Snead went on duty on March 2. He was the son of Lyman Snead Sr. and Mabel B. Snead of Chesapeake. But he lived in Norfolk. He was assigned to Station Number 7 on 44th Street. He passed the Civil Service Exam the previous January. Other than the test, he had to pass the physical examination, be interviewed by other Norfolk Fire Station Chiefs (all of whom who were white) and endure a two-week indoctrination period.

He had four brothers and three sisters. Snead, a graduate of Crestwood High School, in 1960, attended Virginia Union University, majoring in history, and served in the U.S. Army infantry.

ECHOS,

But Mr. Snead failed the probationary period and was not hired. His brother Harry followed in his footsteps according to the GUIDE Archives a year later. Again, he was “hired” as a Fireman for the Department. He passed the Civil Service Examination, was the first African American who endured the yearlong Probationary period and was eventually “certified” as the first Black Norfolk Fireman and continued his career.

According to the GUIDE archives, he was one of the founders of the United Black Fire Fighters (UBFF). According to the GUIDE, in 1979, with 26 other Blacks and no women in the department, he and three other UBFF members sued the department for racial discrimination and retaliation against them for complaining about it. His brother Lyman, who lived in Chesapeake at the time, died in 1987.

WHEN THEY CALL

By Dennis Edwards Columnist

I’ve come to recognize how what can be seen as echos in casual conversations are sometimes more revealing, more important than the reason for the call. A secular deﬁnition of an echo is “a series of sounds caused by the reﬂection of sound waves from a surface back to the listener.” Where people are concerned they can amplify anything on the surface of our minds and deeper emotions from footsteps in a hallway to the feelings of those closest to us and those who wish to grow closer.

In this case I’m thinking about what might be best described as echos in the deeper meanings of casual conversation, minor pleasantries and after thoughts. The things we expect and don’t expect people to say before we exchange good byes. The residue of kindness, so to speak, that should never be underestimated in substance and meaning. Especially when it comes to things said between fathers and sons or fathers and daughters in key moments.

A few weeks ago I shared with you the joy and wonder of a renewed relationship with my son Justin Dennis after 14 years apart. What I didn’t write about at the time was the end of one of his calls. A poignant moment I was left to ponder with growing appreciation for its power and profound simplicity. A moment still ringing in my mind’s ear.

At the end of one conversation I said, “Thank you for calling”. Without hesitation Justin said, “Thank you for answering”. It was one of those magic moments that kind of softly ricochets through the conscious and subconscious. A simple answer revealing what could have been a possible fear I wouldn’t pick up. Yet, there were deeper meanings in the tone and tenor. We’d talked through the easiest and more sticky issues that sometimes litter the landscape where fathers and sons abide. Then came the moment for reluctant goodbyes when gratitude takes centerstage.

“Thank you” is a powerful phrase. It can make right the pain of feeling unappreciated or stop an argument before it gets started. But more importantly, the phrase redeﬁnes the moment. Turns fear into relief, uncertainty into certainty.

When I said thank you for calling, there was an acknowledgement of the chance he took in reaching out after so many years. How was he to know my state of mind or I to gauge his?

But a few things occurred to me in that moment that might be helpful to fathers, sons and daughters in various situations.

R.J. Smith said “Nothing beats a failure like a try”. So take the chance at reconciliation. Yield to what the church

folks used to call “The Unction of the Holy Spirit”. Or as Nike might say “Just Do It”. Combine the two and see what the Lord does next.

I wish more people would take a chance on reconciling. A chance on calling an end to years of estrangement, embracing the potential for an even better relationship from now on. “Gratitude is the quality of being thankful, the readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.” Perhaps that realization causes me to linger in the presence of my sons response. He said “Thank You For Answering”. Answering his call, his attempt to reach out and talk, with an implied desire to work through the past in renewed relationship. To tell me how he felt and hear my side of the story he’d never heard. Takes courage to do that.

Next time, why not answer that call in a spirit of gratitude. Take on the questions with honest answers laced in kindness. Allow for the clearing of a slate left cluttered far too long, eliminate obstacles, just clear the way for honest resolution of misunderstandings and misinformation. Let sons or daughters respectfully say what troubles them so deeply. What they can’t get beyond. Then help them begin that process with kind, candid responses that help them in their healing processes. Misconceptions are corrected at the feet of gratitude. Misrepresentations ﬂutter and fall in the presence of kind souls who love each other more than they love their grievances. When children reach out, answer honestly, knowing what you say can make all the difference in how they ultimately feel about themselves. Make feeling good about themselves and truthfully getting you back easy for them.

Dennis Edwards is a Major Market Emmy and Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Award-Winning T.V. and WRVA Radio News Anchor, Investigative Reporter, Columnist and Pastor. He is a graduate of Virginia Union University and its Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology)

Dennis Edwards

Lionell Spruill

New Norfolk Fire Chief Sidney Carroll (center), is sworn in as his wife standing right, holds a Bible and Mayor Kenneth C. Alexander witnesses the historic event.

Photo: CourtesyoftheCityofNorfolk

“SURVIVING THROUGH MENTAL HEALTH” EVENT

NORFOLK In support of Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, Norfolk Community Services Board and Project ORF have partnered to present an evening of connection, healing and support with Surviving Through Mental Health on July 11 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the historic

Attucks Theatre (1010 Church St.). This event focuses on how mental health concerns show up differently in young, minority and underserved communities and how collaboration can make a positive impact.

Highlights include panel discussions with mental health experts, activists and survivors, including Dr. Krystal Vaughn; Kim Ambrose; Kamron Blue, LCSW; Dr. Kristie Norwood; Dr. Tonya Shell, and more. Also, community partners in mental health and wellness will be in attendance with outreach and information opportunities.

There will be engaging activities, prizes, rafﬂes, refreshments, music, giveaways and more! This is a free event and registration is preferred but not required.

Information and registration: www. norfolk.gov/Surviving ThroughMentalHealth

Grant Sponsorship For Educational Services of HR

and construct business plans to launch or improve their business ideation.

(L-R) James Hinton, Jr. Community Development, Dollar Bank , Dr. and Mrs.Tyrone and Linda Davis

(Owners of Educational Services of HR, Inc.), and Lisa Saunders, Community Development, Dollar Bank

Photo: Courtesy

RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY HELD FOR CHESAPEAKE’S CORNLAND SCHOOL MUSEUM

By New Journal and Guide Staff

CHESAPEAKE

A ribbon cutting ceremony for the Cornland School Museum was held on Saturday, June 29, highlighting the rehabilitation of the historic Cornland School, an early 1900s school for Black children. It also marked the ﬁrst phase of the city’s new tourist attraction, The Historical Village of the Dismal Swamp. The new Historical Village is expected to become a major visitors and tourist site with exhibits showcasing Chesapeake’s cultural history and its connection to the Great Dismal Swamp. According to the Chesapeake Historical Preservation Commission, “when ﬁnished, the Village will represent how generations of our region’s residents lived, learned, worked, farmed, and played.”

The opening of the Cornland School Museum shows residents, students, and visitors what it was like for African Americans to gain an education in grades 1-7, with all seven subjects taught by one teacher in one room in Norfolk County (Chesapeake). The school served the Black community from 1902 to 1953 when it was closed and Crestwood High School was built along with Southeastern Elementary School.

The Cornland School Museum was ﬁrst presented to the city and championed by Councilwoman Dr. Ella Ward, Cornland School Foundation Board Chair, after the foundation’s founding in 2011.

In 2020, Chesapeake City Council awarded $400,000 to the Cornland Project to

support the relocation of the dilapidated school from the private property of Mr. and Mrs. Randolph and Wanza Snead at 2315 Beneﬁt Road to the Glencoe Street site. On March 24, 2022, the late 4th District Congressman A. Donald McEachin presented a $3,000,000 check to the City of Chesapeake for the restoration of the Cornland School Museum and the completion of the Chesapeake Historical Village at the Great Dismal Swamp. The Cornland School Project has also received funds from the Crestwood Alumni Association and Dominion Energy, among other supporters. The 12-member Board of Directors had raised nearly $35,000 prior to the city’s approval in order to help make repairs to the building to prevent further deterioration and to help stabilize the then 117year old structure.

In addition to the Cornland School Museum on the site, other exhibits will highlight the Indigenous groups who ﬁrst inhabited the Swamp, experiences of Blacks escaping slavery on the Underground Railroad, the Maroon communities who lived in the Swamp, and the importance of the Dismal Swamp as a signiﬁcant crossroad for trade, commerce and agriculture.

The developing Village is located on a 12-acre site on Glencoe Street (off Route 17), and once completed it will be the ﬁrst African American Historical District in Chesapeake and the Hampton Roads Region.

To schedule free tours at the Cornland School Musem, call the Chesapeake Parks, Recreation, & Tourism Department at 757-3826411.

BYRON GLORE: Behind the Scenes Black Philanthropy Gamechanger

Successful fundraising depends upon the behind-the-scenes work of people we may never know about. One of these is Byron Glore, the executive producer of the Lou Rawls Parade of Stars Telethon for UNCF. While Melvin Shaw was the show’s creator, producer for UNCF, and the director of the associated fundraising campaigns, Byron was the show’s executive producer. Here’s their story and our tribute to Byron Glore.

Byron Glore and Mel Shaw worked together for years to bring the Lou Rawls Parade of Stars Telethon for UNCF to an international television audience. Mel had tested the concept in Texas, and UNCF had begun producing the show nationally, but – believe it or not – it was not initially produced by Black people and did not feature Black performers. In fact, most of the artists were white country and western stars. Both Byron and Mel knew this wasn’t right. It was Bryon who was able to bring about a change because of his deep commitment to Black people, relationships across corporate America, and his business and financial acumen.

Here are Mel’s words, “Byron was the executive producer of the show – the

man handling the money. I was the co-producer. We were partners and collaborators. With a project of that magnitude and the challenges involved, you need a person you can trust and respect for who they are and what they bring to the table.”

Byron was uniquely able to make the case for the telethon and UNCF to the corporate and business community. His sensitivity was born out of his experience as a Morehouse man, an outstanding athlete, a brilliant student, and as a corporate employee with access to some of the best business minds of his time. He was a super-marketeer and salesperson. A skilled collaborator and team builder, he was superbly talented at bringing together corporate representatives and UNCF team members. Byron was a man of vision, the ultimate achiever, who demanded high quality and the best from all he worked with. He knew how the corporate game was played and used that knowledge to the mutual benefit of UNCF and our corporate partners. He knew what each party needed and was shrewd enough to use that understanding to create a win for each party. He shunned the

limelight and was a behind-the-scenes gamechanger. He battled in the business sphere of his life and simultaneously demonstrated the deepest kindness and love for his daughter, Gabrielle “Gabi” Glore. Byron was a consistent champion of UNCF and the HBCUs that comprised its membership. Without Byron playing the role that he did we would not have enjoyed the success and longevity of the telethon. This is especially true of the relationship between Anheuser-Busch, the telethon’s lead corporate sponsor, and UNCF. Today, when we talk with nonprofits about engaging a corporate partner and creating winwin scenarios we are sharing what we learned from Byron. Rest in peace. Full obituary available at https:// app.bluebutterfly.com/ memorial/v2/byronglore.

Comprehensive Fund Development Services. Video and phone conferencing services are always available. Let us help you grow your fundraising. Call us at (901) 522-8727 or visit www.saadandshaw.com.

Hello and welcome to The Bridge Corner. In this exercise, we are “Developing Winners in No Trump”.

four-card major. Opener does not have to bid again.

3) The contract is 1 N/T and North is the declarer.

4) East makes the opening lead with the Q Spade.

5) Declarer needs seven tricks but only has s[x sure tricks. Declarer can develop the extra trick in the Club suit.

6) Declarer should play the Clubs after winning the first trick to develop the extra trick needed. Meanwhile, declarer keeps the winners in the other suits to prevent the opponents from taking tricks.

7) Declarer should make his 1 No Trump contract.

1) South opens the bidding with 1 Diamond. South is the describer and North is the responder and the captain.

2) North, the responder, can’t support opener’s suit nor bid a NEW SUIT at the one level. The response would be 1 N/T and is invitational. Responder has 5 to 10 points and no

The dates for the next four games are: 1) Friday, July 12, 2024 – 10am to 2pm 2) Friday, July 1910am – 3pm 3) Friday,

TIDEWATER BRIDGE CLUB:

Richard A. Tucker Memorial Library 2350 Berkley Ave., Ext. Norfolk, VA 23523

Original Cornland School before refurbishing

Alumni of the Original Cornland School

One of the exhibits

Mayor Dr. Rick West and City Councilwoman Dr. Ella Ward

New Cornland School Museum

It’s Ofﬁcial - Now Open!!!

Restored Wood Stove in center of museum

CONGRATS TO AWARD WINNER!

VIRGINIA BEACH

Kurt Williams, News 3, Hampton Roads walked away with the George Bowles Jr. Broadcasting Journalism Award during the 87th Annual Summer Convention of the Virginia Association of Broadcasters, held in Virginia Beach, June 20-22. This award is presented to a broadcast reporter or news director who is distinguished in the ﬁeld of broadcast journalism, has longevity in Virginia broadcasting, is respected by his or her peers and the local community. Williams, who is coming up on his 37th year at the station, has covered a wide range of stories, including his own coverage of his prostate cancer journey.

HHSAA, Inc. Annual Scholarship Awards Ceremony

NEWPORT NEWS

The Huntington High School Alumni Association Inc., held their Annual Scholarship Awards Ceremony on June 1, 2024 at Ivy Baptist Church, 50 Maple Avenue, Newport News Virginia 23607, at 3:00 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. The following row one students from left to right are the recipients of the 2024 Huntington High

African Landing Day Commemoration

Includes Reception For Calvin Pearson

HAMPTON

This year’s African Landing Day Commemoration will be held August 24 at Fort Monroe. Of special interest is a reception and honorary tribute to Mr. Calvin Pearson, founder of Project 1619, Inc. and organizer of the annual Commemoration, who is retiring. The reception will be held Aug. 24 at Queen Street Baptist Worship Center. Tickets are $50.00.

Pearson founded the annual Commemoration to bring attention to the landing in 1619 of the ﬁrst enslaved Africans to the shores that are now Fort Monroe, Va. in Hampton. Events during the four days are designed to highlight reconciliation and healing from the legacy of slavery. Activities on African Landing Day, Saturday, Aug. 24 begin at 10 a.m. at Fort Monroe to include a bell ringing ceremony. It is free and open to the

public. Other events are:

Groundbreaking Ceremony at Fort Monroe from 10:0012:00 on Thursday, Aug. 22; The William Tucker 1624 Society Commemoration at the Hampton Roads Convention Center from 11:00-12:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 23; and on Sunday morning, Aug. 25 from 6:00-8:00 a,.m., a Cleansing and Healing Ceremony will be held. For more information, visit project1619.org.

School Alumni Association Inc. Scholarship Awardees. Triniti Alayiah Tynes graduated from Menchville High School. She will be attending Virginia Commonwealth University in the fall of 2024. Mya Jasmine Vincent graduated from Heritage High School. She will be attending Old Dominion University in the fall of 2024. Terohn

Jaewill Carter graduated from Abeka Academy an on-line home school. He will be attending Old Dominion University in the fall of 2024. Derrick Leon Gurley graduated from Heritage High School. He will be attending The College of William and Mary in the fall of 2024. Christopher Sam Austin-Wylie graduated from Heritage

High School. He will be attending Old Dominion University in the fall of 2024 (he was not presence for the picture, so his father sits on the far right side of the picture). The second, third and fourth rows are the committee members join in with the scholarship donors. Each recipient received a $2,200.00 scholarship.

With Each New Sunrise

By Sean C. Bowers

Comes the promise of the new day’s potential, to be a marker in our personal historical conquest to overcome, survive, thrive, through one single thing, our internal drive.

As the sun broke the cloudless pristine, ocean’s skyline, the heavens opened a can of whoop butt on our world, and I was mentally sumowrestling-solo the jumbos in the Olympic trials of my mind. The deeper questions are simpler, cleaner, more understandable, as the day warms, comes the heat; the warming was once gradual, granular, now seems instantaneous.

While looking directly into the sun is never recommended, seeing the dancing, effervescent shimmering reflections of a life well lived, spent in the service of others, sparkles like fireflies over the night sky.

Measuring one’s self is always a (self-)determinative process, by degrees. We ask ourselves: When push came to shove, did I respond in kind? Did I elevate the situation—raise the temperature— or was I a cooling calming voice of reason in the most untimely of life storm seasons? Is one’s legacy one of creation or destruction?

In my youth, and for many years after, the rage of the cage, just below the surface, was only kept in check by meditative practices and a constant hyperphysically active workout regimen. Without the bike, the boardwalk, the state park, the Virginia Beach oceanfront’s surf-n-turf to temper my temper, I would have imploded under the constant selfimposed mandates to measure up, to make

a difference, to be a difference maker, to overcome adversity, to prove others wrong, to be of worth, to have had a worthwhile life, to share the impact of positivity. Was my joy contagious? Would that joy I brought to the world make any difference? Was I the kind of teammate, I would have wanted to have?

Was it up to me to save myself and as many others as possible? By “save,” I mean, provide a tangible belief, plan, blueprint, or example of living for the betterment of others, in service of them, for them, to them, never in a condescending “know-it-all-way,” or an “I ‘m-the-onlyone-who-can-fixthis,” 45 way. It was more of a migratory obligatory story of seasonal rewardringed growth cycles of healing. Wounds heal over the exterior, but inside the age-old scars still mark where pain once was. In all young people, I saw their potential, their “Future Love Paradise,” as singer Seal sang shamanistically. I also remembered my youth’s selfdeterminative life driving events of selfcharacter building determination. Failures fed the fires of desire to go onward ever higher. Failures became the stepping stones to step into that glorious new day’s first light. From our darkest depths, we can each take solace in the

The creation of peace, understanding, love and beauty we build and create with our life light the way.

incremental steps of progress, process. First something appears impossible -too hard, too difficult. Then gradually, what wasn’t becomes what was always destined to shine, to be a beacon, a lighthouse, making us a human being worthy of heaven’s returns. Day by day we face our mirror clearly. Our returns in life are the smiles of loved ones and the inner peace that only constant inner turmoil struggles can cure. Without overcoming the “bad weather” of life, breaking into the sublime, coming into the light, would not be as nearly a worthwhile climb.

Aspirations, destinations, and graduations are universally understood. The creation of peace, understanding, love, and beauty we build and create with our life light the way. Those hammerer out smooth southings are our legacy high-water life marks we leave here on earth. All start with each new sunrise. Sean C. Bowers writes for The New Journal and Guide, CHAMPIONING overcoming racism, sexism, classism, and religious persecution. More of his work can found by searching “Sean C. Bowers” on the NJ&G website, on social media at Linkedin.com or by e-mail at V1ZUAL1ZE@ aol.com NNPA 2019 Publisher of the Year, Brenda H. Andrews (NJ&G 37 years) has always been his publisher.

Sean C. Bowers

Photo: Dr.GradyJames

Scholars Seated, (L-R): Triniti Alayiah Tynes, Mya Jasmine Vincent, Terohn Jaewill Carter, Derrick Leon Gurley, Father representing Sam Austin-Wylie

Photo: Courtesy

By Rev. Dr. Archie L. Edwards, Sr.

THE QUEST FOR WISDOM MOMENTS of MEDITATION

James 3: 13 – 18

Today, as in James’ time, people long for wisdom to help them cope with the complexities of life. They eagerly turn to those who claim to have special insight into life’s problems – gurus, astrologers, mystics and cult leaders. Following these people, however, often leads to frustration and disillusionment rather than to fulfillment and happiness. The Bible tells us that real wisdom comes only from God. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, “became to us wisdom from God” (1 Corinthians 1: 30). The Spirit of God gave special wisdom to the seven men who are often called the first deacons of the New Testament church, and especially to Stephen (Acts 6: 5, 10). Out of this heritage, James talks about the nature and source of true wisdom. Where do we find it? What are its characteristics? How will we act when we have acquired it?

THE CONDUCT OF

THE WISE. James 3: 13 challenges those who claim to be “wise and understanding” to demonstrate their wisdom by good works. Both faith (2: 14-26) and wisdom are invisible qualities than can be

seen only in action. A prime Characteristic of genuine wisdom is gentleness or meekness. Some of who claim to be wise religious leaders betray a shallow comprehension of the Gospel, as they equate the blessing of God with material and power to believers, but these are not necessarily consequences of faith. THE WISDOM FROM BELOW. James mentions seven characteristics and two consequences of worldly wisdom:

1. BITTER JEALOUSY. “Jealousy” (3: 14) is the Greek from which we get “zeal.” This is not a bad trait, if properly motivated and controlled. But those whose horizons are limited to this world are prone to become bitterly jealous of those they perceive as rivals.

2. SELFISH AMBITION. This describes an attitude that seeks to destroy others in order to achieve personal gain.

3. ARROGANCE. The word used here implies looking down from a position of superiority. This is the attitude of a person who becomes so obsessed with his own attainments that he regards other people as inferior.

4. LYING AGAINST

THE TRUTH. Such a person cannot see himself as he really is. His mind-set keeps him from recognizing his own failures and limitations.

5. EARTHLY. James now comes to three limitations that explain the insufﬁciency of worldly wisdom. First, it is limited to nature, or animal existence. The Greek word used here refers to that animal existence of which mankind is a part (see 1 Corinthians 2: 14).

Worldly wisdom is ultimately demonic. Those who conﬁne their vision to the material universe or to human beings as animals, recognize neither the reality of God nor evil Spiritual forces.

Having described the wisdom of the world, James identiﬁes its consequences

(3: 16).

6. DISORDER. When human wisdom is applied to human affairs, it results in confusion and instability.

7. EVERY EVIL THING. This phrase also means “every kind of worthless deed.” The activities in which the wise people of this world engage are ultimately worth nothing and may even be evil (the word may have both meanings).

THE WISDOM FROM ABOVE. In much the same way as he described earthly wisdom, James now describes the wisdom from above (v. 17). Again, he lists seven characteristics and two consequences:

1. PURE. In context of this discussion, purity implies freedom from anything that would contaminate or soil

one’s integrity.

2. PEACEABLE. Even when outer peace is lacking, Christ’s followers are blessed with the special inward peace that only He can give (John 14: 27).

3. GENTLE. The “gentleness of wisdom” mentioned in James 3: 13 implies a passive posture, a willingness to accept misunderstanding and even wrong without retaliation. The word used in verse 17 has a more active thrust and may be translated “equitable,” “fair,” or “moderate.”

4. REASONABLE. This suggests that a truly wise person, though not accepting every argument at face value, is open to persuasion and a change of mind when a valid case it presented.

RICHMOND

A Virginia Beach African American historic site is among four Black sites in Virginia newly listed in the Virginia Landmarks Register.

The Pleasant Ridge School Historic District in Virginia Beach consists of a one-room schoolhouse, a church built in ca. 1949, and a cemetery with burials dating to approximately 1904. Constructed ca. 1886 as part of a larger school for white students, Pleasant Ridge School was moved to its current location in ca. 1918 to serve Black children in grades 1-7 until it closed in 1956 as the result of the city’s efforts to consolidate and desegregate public schools.

Close by is the Hickory Hill County Training School, now in the City of Richmond, built in 1938 primarily with contributions from the local African American community and Chesterﬁeld County. It served generations of Black

6. UNWAVERING. Heavenly wisdom is also characterized by steadfastness. The Greek word conveys the idea of the absence of uncertainty or indecision.

7. SINCERITY. The last characteristic of the wisdom from above that James mentions is sincerity or the absence of hypocrisy. Jesus denounced these who professed great piety but whose practice belied their profession (Matthew 23). Real Christian love is characterized by genuineness (Romans 12: 9). see Wisdom, page 6B

5. MERCY. Mercy originates with God (Ephesians 2:4), both in His provision for our salvation and in our daily life, especially in time of need (Hebrews 4: 16).

students as Chesterﬁeld County’s only training school during 20th-century school segregation. As the county’s ﬁrst brick school for African Americans, its construction and subsequent expansion embodied the Black community’s efforts to provide equal educational opportunities and facilities for their children during Jim Crow.

The Ida Mae Francis Tourist Home in the City of Harrisonburg provided lodging services for African American visitors during segregation in Virginia.

Constructed ca. 1908 for Ida Mae Francis and her husband, the home was listed in several editions of The Green Book—a 20th-century guide featuring businesses across the nation that welcomed Black travelers during Jim Crow—in the 1950s and 1960s.

Winslow Hospital in the City of Danville was built in 1940 as the ﬁrst and only hospital constructed by the city to serve the African American

community during segregation and the Civil Rights Movement. Operated by African American physicians and staff, the hospital is notable for treating the victims of Bloody Monday, arguably the most violent event in Virginia associated with the Civil Rights Movement. Bloody Monday refers to a series of incidents on June 10, 1963, during which multiple demonstrators protesting segregation and racial discrimination in Danville were beaten and/or arrested by police. Eight other historical sites newly added are Woodbourne in Westmoreland County; Indian Springs Farm in Gloucester County; Hundley Hall and Hoskins Country Store in Essex County; Chesapeake Beach Historic District in Virginia Beach; Bel Air in Warren County Town of Front Royal; Green Spring Mill in Frederick County; Norwich Historic District in Roanoke; Warminster Rural Historic District in Nelson County.

CHURCH ADs & DIRECTORY

FILM REVIEW: BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE

By Dwight Brown Film Critic

★ (2 1/2 Stars)

They’re older. Wiser? Well older. Boyz II middleaged men. They still got it? And if they do, whatcha gonna do when they come for you?

Bad Boys (1995) and Bad Boys II (2003), starring Martin Lawrence and Will Smith as rambunctious Miami cops Marcus Burnett and Mike Lowery, were directed by the ﬂashy director Michael Bay. Bad Boys for Life (2020) had new life breathed into it when the young, edgy Belgian/ Arab team of directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (Black, Rebel and Gangsta) took command. These ﬁlmmakers, Lawrence and Smith have gone back to the same well one more time for this latest venture. Anything left?

full house.

amusement park becomes a burial ground. The one action sequence misstep involves the boys driving a van totally engulfed in ﬂames. It’s silly, stupid and improbable. But for the most part, the steady supply of adrenaline-pumping scenes gives action/comedy genre fans what they want, and the Lawrence/Smith team exempliﬁes the wacky buddy cop pairings moviegoers love.

The character of Captain Conrad Howard (Joe Pantoliano), the guys’ much loved commanding officer, was a constant in the three previous movies. In the last chapter, he was assassinated by the sniper hitman Armando Aretas (Jacob Scipio), who happened to be Mike’s son. This new, formulaic script by Chris Bremner and Will Beall starts where the last film finished. Howard’s legacy as an honorable, trustworthy cop is being besmirched by crooks who try to tie him to a deadly cartel. Howard speaks from beyond the grave, “Boys we have rats in our walls!” Outraged, Marcus and Mike try to clear his name. It’s a premise that provides lots of forward momentum.

The guys’ investigation is aided by former rookie cops Kelly (Vanessa Hudgens) and Dorn (Alexander Ludwig). As their new boss, Captain Rita Secada (Paola Núñez), seems skeptical a stealth hitman named Banker (Eric

Dane) connives to kill all the good guys who get in his way. It’s on. You’d think that this tight ensemble would be just enough. But the franchise has so much baggage, more and more characters show up: Marcus’s wife Theresa (Tasha Smith), his war veteran son Reggie (Dennis Green) and grandchildren. Mike’s new wife Christine (Melanie Liburd). Conrad’s enraged Federal Marshall ofﬁcer daughter (Rhea Seehorn, Better Call Saul) and innocent granddaughter Callie (Quinn Hemphill). Add in a smarmy politician (Ioan Gruffudd) and a bodacious strip club owner (Tiffany Haddish) and it’s a

If there’s a star in this movie, it’s the action scenes. Adil & Bilal excel at bringing the car chases, gun ﬁghts, brawls and violence. The footage (cinematographer Robrecht Heyvaert) starts with a bang in a convenience store, kinetic energy is well measured throughout (editors Asaf Eisenberg and Dan Lebental) and doesn’t let up until the last deadly shot hits its mark. During the mayhem, Marcus is on the hood of a car pumping bullets at the bad guys, an art gallery becomes a battleﬁeld, a helicopter loses control, loved ones are in jeopardy and an old

With Jerry Bruckheimer as the prime producer (Top Gun: Maverick and Pirates of the Caribbean), everything is bigger, excessive and more outlandish than it needs to be. Especially the finale scenes. What if this chapter had been a reboot that took the guys back to their roots? What if instead of a grandiose style the filmmaking was stripped down to its roots? This would have given the two leads a bigger chance to spotlight their comic chops. Imagine if this episode was as close to the ground and gutter as the Safdie Brothers Uncut Gems. But funny. What if audiences got to see the seamy side of Miami and not the Hollywoodized version? Well not even Hollywoodized, because the supreme irony is that the film was largely shot in Atlanta. Authenticity be damned. In case audiences had forgotten, Martin Lawrence always stole these movies from Will Smith. He got the most hilarious lines and knew how to handle his comic business. Weird facial expressions, great timing, whining, bugging out… Now, this script gives him an incident that makes him become overly spiritual—to the point of feeling he’s untouchable and becoming reckless. It’s a nice gimmick that gives him room to shine. Marcus, “I spent my whole life being scared!” Better than the secondary characteristic laid on Smith, which has him freezing up at inopportune times. All other cast members are good, too. But Haddish, in a small club scene, leaves her bawdy scent all over everything. She’s hysterical. They’re older. Worn and frayed like a pair of old shoes with holes in the bottom. But they’ve got their loyal followers who’ll ride or die with Marcus and Mike forever in any imperfect buddy cop movie. Why? Because Lawrence and Smith know how to charm and disarm.

Wisdom

Continued from page 4B

What a contrast there is between these seven characteristics of the wisdom from above and the seven characterize earthly wisdom! The consequences are equally different. Whereas human wisdom leads to ‘disorder and every evil thing.” Genuine wisdom leads to good fruit, of which the principal one is righteousness. “Heavenly wisdom produces a great variety of good and desirable qualities in life (cf Galatians 5: 22 – 23).

The one speciﬁc fruit that James identiﬁes is righteousness, which he says results from the peaceful sowing of the seed of the Gospel by those who make peace (James 3: 18). Righteousness simply refers to the fact that those who walk in the wisdom that comes from above make an earnest and continuing effort to do what is right. As we live in a world that follow its own futile ways, which lead only to disorder and every evil thing, may the wisdom from above be our portion.

Martin Lawerence as Marcus Burnett and Will Smith as Mike Lowery